A crack architectural team has converted a heritage-listed church in Bedford, England, into a gorgeous, modern theatre with a new curved timber and glass foyer bar. The Quarry Theatre at St Luke's occupies a previously unused Moravian church and minister's house, which both back onto Bedford School. Foster Wilson Architects oversaw the refurbishment of the old structures, and designed an extension that opens to the building up to the original church garden. The church was consecrated in 1865 but finally closed in 2008. The aim of the £4.3 million project is to transform the historic structure into a facility that can be used by the school, touring theatre groups, or members of the community.
Foster Wilson Architects have converted a heritage-listed church in Bedford, England, into a gorgeous, modern theatre
The church faces one of the town's key thoroughfares, so it was retained as the main frontage for the theatre. A foyer and teaching room lead through to the new 300-seat auditorium, which is located within the central area of the chapel, and was created by erecting a steel structure inside the existing walls so the original volume and features remain visible. A flat-floored stage surrounded by tiered seating is overlooked by the church's existing balcony, which the architects extended forward and re-tiered to improve sight lines to the stage. There are also two levels of new galleries that extend along either side of the auditorium, above which a rig for suspending scenery and stage lighting is positioned. The extension at the rear of the building wraps around the outside of the curved chancel, where the original exterior brick wall is left exposed and complemented by new fair-faced brick walls.
The historic structure has been transformed into a facility that can be used by the school, touring theatre groups, or members of the community
An additional foyer and bar are contained in the extension, which is flanked by a wall of glass. The space opens out to a terrace that connects the building with the gardens and the school beyond. A former minister's house adjoining the church was adapted to contain front-of-house facilities including a booking office and a foyer in the former vestry. Its upper levels accommodate offices and a studio. The architects endeavoured to retain and repair existing materials wherever possible, employing lime plaster in the original buildings, with delicate oak flooring and joinery creating a sense of continuity throughout the interior.
The architects endeavoured to retain and repair existing materials wherever possible, employing lime plaster in the original buildings
Studio co-founder and project Tim Foster said of the project: “The building's location was ideal, with its main facade facing the town and the back facing the school grounds. This allows the theatre to face both ways, both physically and metaphorically. The church is retained as a single public assembly space, which is much more appropriate than chopping it up to create residential units, which might otherwise have been its fate. We wanted to respect and work with the grain of the original building while adapting it to its new use. Wherever possible, original spaces have been restored by removing later additions that confused the clarity of the original plan. By radiating the new foyer around the original apsidal chancel wall and keeping the roof low, we were able to allow the original building to remain visible above it. The curved glazed wall provides a panoramic view of the gardens, filling the space between the original vestry and the new backstage accommodation. The new addition is clearly contemporary but aims to work with the original building in terms of its form and materials.”
